In 1961, the minimum wage was raised to $1.15 and sat there the following year. In today’s dollars, it was worth $9.63 in 1961 and 9.57 in 1962.

In 1963, the wage rose $1.25 and stayed there for the next three years. In today’s dollars, it was worth $10.23 in 1963, $10.13 in 1964, $9.94 in 1965, and $9.69 in 1966.

In 1967, the wage increased to $1.40. In today’s dollars, it was worth $10.56.

In 1968, the wage rose to $1.60 and stayed there for six years. In today’s dollars, it was worth $11.58 - an all-time high - and $10.98 in 1969.

When adjusted for inflation, the average federal minimum wage during the 1960s was $10.09 and hour - $2.84 higher than today’s wage. That’s a 28 percent decrease in value. Over a 40-hour work week, that translates to $113.60 in lost gross pay.

Scott’s bill would gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2024, and afterwards index it to inflation. Scott and other supporters of the measure say it would put more money in pockets of an estimated 40 million workers, many of them women and minorities. They predict that the increased spending power will lift the economy.

Opponents of the bill, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, say the $15 an hour wage would harm small businesses, especially those located in the areas with low costs of living.